So just a few days after the disappointment of playoff elimination, FC Dallas got a dose of good news. Thanks to one lucky envelope they find themselves at the top of the Chivas USA Dispersal Draft, with their pick of any former Goat player not named Cubo.
This isn't the mother lode. But for a team that's got a bit of cap space to play with, depth issues in several spots on the field, and a coach who's not afraid to play the kids, even a small break can turn into a major advantage down the road.
Here are some things Dallas can do with that pick - and it's worth noting that they can not trade it outright:
1. The Consensus: Dan Kennedy
The veteran goalkeeper is the consensus best of the bunch up for grabs, and for a team that's not afraid to wheel and deal in the offseason, getting another valuable asset isn't a bad choice. But Dallas already have two starting-caliber GKs (Chris Seitz and Raul Fernandez), and - assuming Dallas grab Kennedy - teams will go into any negotiations knowing that they have to trade one of those guys. That's not a great negotiating position.
Still... this:
2. The Kid: Marky Delgado
Delgado is probably the cream of the crop from the Chivas academy thus far (and forever, I guess). He's 19, he's technical, and he's experienced. He played 37 first-team games for the Goats, and generally acquitted himself well. At no point did he look like a world beater, but he has the goods to be a quality MLS contributor for literally more than a decade.
There are two red flags, however. First is that Delgado just had season-ending knee surgery for the second year in a row, which is why he's not with the US U-20s at the moment. And second... I'm still not sure what his best position is. He's played all over the midfield as well as right back, and never really made any of those spots his own.
Other teams would probably stop there. But Dallas under Oscar Pareja are perhaps the foremost practitioners of the #PlayYourKids ethos, and since Pareja is close with now-former Chivas boss Wilmer Cabrera, he'll know well what Delgado brings to the table.
3. The Wild Card: Nigel Reo-Coker
Crazy, right? Reo-Coker is over 30 and has burned some bridges in the past. He is a risk.
But he is also a talent, and he just played the best six weeks of his MLS career as Chivas ended their season on a high note. At his best, NRC is a box-to-box force both on and off the ball, able to drive out of midfield against back-pedaling backlines and find playmakers in spots where they can do damage. He's never going to put up big numbers, but anybody who watched the Goats this autumn knows that he's able to be a difference-maker.
This from NRC's Vancouver days, but you'll get an idea of the talent he's got:
Reo-Coker and Cabrera reportedly got along well, which is another point in his favor. And it's worth noting that Dallas cleared out a big chunk of salary cap in late summer to pursue another central midfielder, so they see that as a position of need.
Maybe they'll see the English veteran as a natural fit.
4. The Long Shot: Andrew Jean-Baptiste
I don't expect this to happen, largely because AJB has a bunch of "what kind of guy is he in the locker room?" baggage that he's not been able to shake. After three years as a pro, that's a significant worry.
But... he started 22 games in 2013 for one of the league's best defenses, and is still just 22 years old. He is the complete package physically - size, athleticism, balance - has shown to be above average technically and with his vision, and reads the game well tactically.
Dallas already have one young central defender who can check all those boxes in Walker Zimmerman, but Zimmerman has struggled with injuries. Pareja compensated by moving Zach Loyd in from fullback this year - a move that worked - but it remains to be seen if that's an ideal long-term solution next to captain Matt Hedges.
AJB could end up being an upgrade. Or he could end up being depth.
But most likely, he's still on the board after the No. 1 pick is called.
